The City of Escondido will hold a grand opening celebration of the Maple Street Pedestrian Plaza on Friday, September 7, 2012. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Plaza, located on Maple Street between Grand Avenue and Valley Parkway. There also will be musical entertainment by the Platte River Band, as well as the crowning of Dick and Ann Lievers as the King and Queen of the Grape Day Festival which will be held the next day, September 8 at Grape Day Park.

The Maple Street Pedestrian Plaza offers a destination for people of all ages to sit and relax, visit local businesses or engage with members of the community in a vibrant public space. The street has been constructed as a “festival street”, with a single, one-way lane from south to north, with no curbs or on-street parking. Through the use of removable bollards, the street can be closed to car traffic for special events making the block a people place. The project also features decorative paving, distinctive landscaping and artwork, dramatic LED lighting, interactive water feature, and two large gateway structures at each end of the project. The Maple Street Plaza will also provide a pedestrian-friendly connection between Grand Avenue and City Hall, the California Center for the Arts Escondido, and Grape Day Park.